Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students.
Teachers of science guide and facilitate learning.
Teachers of science engage in ongoing assessment of their teaching and of student learning.
Teachers of science design and manage learning environments that provide students with the time, space, and resources needed for learning science.
RI Middle School GSEs Earth and Space Science
ESS2: The earth is part of a solar system, made up of distinctive parts that have temporal and spatial interrelationships.
8- Systems and Energy/ Patterns of Change
Explain temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, moon (e.g. night/day, seasons, year, tides) or how gravitational force affects objects in the solar system (e.g. moons, tides, orbits, satellites).
Students demonstrate an understanding of temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, and moon by:
a) Using models to describe the relative motion/ position of the Earth, sun and moon.
b) Using a model of the Earth, sun and moon to recreate the phases of the moon.
Performance Standards for Science (Gathered from Grade 6 CCMS- Lynn Arcand)
Science Concepts:The student demonstrates conceptual understanding by using a concept accurately to explain observations and make predictions by representing the concept in multiple ways (through words, diagrams, graphs or charts, as appropriate). Both aspects of understanding -explaining and representing- are required to meet this standard.
Standard 3: Earth and Space Sciences Concepts:
S3c: Understanding of: Earth in the Solar System, such as the predictable motion of planets, moons and other objects in the Solar System including days, years, moon phases and eclipses.
Context for the Lesson:
The purpose of today's lesson is to review the quiz material question by question and answer any questions the students have. From reviewing the quizzes, I will be able to judge what material the students are having trouble with. I will also know what areas I need to improve upon when teaching. The material that needs reviewing can then be incorporated into today's lesson.
Activation of prior knowledge will prepare the students for this lesson about the phases of the moon, since they need to be able to connect the previous information with the current. The main goal of today's lesson will be to answer the question, "What happens to the moon during the lunar cycle?", or "What visual evidence is there that helps us observe the time measurement of a lunar month?" Since this class involves a review of the quiz, an activation of prior knowledge, and an introduction of a new topic, I do not want to get too involved with the specifics involved with how the phases of the moon are created. Instead, I want to inform the students on:
What the different phases are.
What they look like.
How the phases are involved in the make up of a lunar month's cycle.
How the moon phases of one complete cycle interact with a normal calendar month.
To accomplish this, the students need some visual stimulation as to the successive visual changes that follow a new moon, and how those changes eventually create a full moon, and then eventually return back to a new moon. Vocabulary will also be integrated into the lesson as we progress from phase to phase. To accurately comprehend this information, the students will fill out a calendar month with the phases of the moon in each day's square, labeling the phase of the moon in each square. When they are finished, they should have an accurate diagram of how the phases of the moon compose a lunar month, and how the lunar month composes the months associated with a solar year. Will they do this before or after instruction?
Opportunities to Learn:
By visually showing the students through the use of a smart board or overhead projector the actual pictures of different phases of the moon, the students can then associate those pictures to the vocabulary, and vice versa. A video can also be used to show a visual representation of how the phases of the moon change through a month period. The coordination of the material that is being presented by myself, via different technological devices, is then transmitted into a graphic organizer of sorts (a calendar month). This organizes the information that is expressed verbally and visually into an article that the students will be able to use to understand the information in an easier fashion. It will also serve as a reference article that the students can use for coordinating other information. This description is not clear. What will you show? What questions will you ask?
The asking and answering of questions will again provide an opportunity for the students to learn actively. Really? How? Relating the phases of the moon to other natural occurrences will also hopefully create an interest in the subject.
"Why do we have tides?",
"Does the moon effect the tides?",
"Why would a full or new moon create a high tide?". Connecting the material to real life scenarios will provide a knowledgeable foundation that they will be less likely to forget.
The activity will compose of mostly level one and two on the depth of knowledge scale, since the information will be composed of mostly vocabulary, and connecting visual pictures and vocabulary to the sequential series of events composing a lunar month. Since the class is already set up in groups, it is easy for students to be able to help each other when needing assistance. I will encourage students to raise their hands if they have questions, and also to ask their neighbor quietly for assistance if they are having difficulty.
Before the lesson, I will need to prepare:
Corrected quizzes.
Visual aids (Pictures of moon phases, videos if needed)
Calendar handouts for the students to fill in. blank calendar
Objectives:
Confidently understand and comprehend material from quiz. (through review, Q+A).
Identify all phases of the moon and their relation to the progression of days on a calendar month.
Fill in a calendar with the corresponding phases of the moon: Process involves integrating vocabulary, asking questions about the progression, and the step by step process that is done in coordination with the whole class to ensure class-wide understanding. 15-20 min
Rewrite these as student objectives.
Opening (10-15% of lesson):
After reviewing the quiz and at the same time, activating their previous knowledge and clearing up any widespread confusion on any areas, we will begin the lesson on moon phases. This can start off with questions:
"What can we look at to determine how long a lunar month is?"
"Why can we say that a lunar month is very accurate?"
"What determines the beginning and the end of a lunar month?"
What about: How is a lunar month related to a month? Why?
The purpose here is to ask questions that get the students to engage themselves into the purpose of moon phases. I want to also get them to understand that the phases are not random and that they are cyclical, just like everything else we have been talking about is. I could show them some of the best photographs I can find of different phases of the moon, and have them circulating on random on the smart board. This visual stimulation could pique their interest and prepare them for the rest of the lesson.
You think so? They may have already charted to moon phases in elementary school? Have you asked them about their previous experiences?
Engagement (60-70% of lesson):
After the opening engagement questioning, I will hand out the blank calendar. Then further questioning will be needed in order to fill in the calendar using moon phases:
"Beginning with a new moon on the 1st day of the month, where do you think the full moon would be on the calendar?"
Most students would probably place the full moon on the last day of the month since it makes intuitive sense, but I will ask them this question to hopefully get them on track:
"What is a full lunar cycle?"
"Is it new moon to full moon, or full moon to new moon, or new moon to new moon?" Drawing a picture or showing a picture of each will help them.
Using an analogy could also help: "What is the full cycle of one day? Is it 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon? Or 12:00 midnight to 12:00 midnight? When answering this question think 'What will bring me back to where I started?'"
Once they figured out that a new moon was placed on the 1st and on the 29th day, the next question is, "So again, where do you think a full moon is?"
They should then realize that it lies halfway between the new moons. The next questions could be "So where would you place a half moon on your calendar?"
At some point the students will have a skeleton of their calendar. In order to fill in the details associated with the new vocabulary (waning, waxing, crescent, gibbous, 1st quarter, last quarter), the students have to know which side of the moon is growing with light over time. We can now establish a rule: After a new moon, the moon starts to get lighter always on its right side, until it becomes full, where it then begins to get darker on its right side, until it turns into a new moon.We can then look at a video that shows this over time. After this, we can begin filling in out calendars again.
"Where do you think a half moon would be on your calendar? Why? What is the scientific term for that?"
"Is there another place for a half moon?"
"Based on our rule, which side of the half moon is lit up?"
From here, we can then explore the possibilities of the crescent moon and the gibbous moon. We can do this through exploratory questions. A critical thinking question if we finish early could be, "What would your calendar look like if a new moon appeared on the 15th of the month instead of the first?" This could be a question for those students who finish early and are either bored or disrupting the class. After determining the next step in each phase for our calendar, I will walk around the room and monitor the students' progress. I will pay attention to students I know have difficulty and try to help them before moving on.
Closure (20-25% of lesson):
"So what are the different names of the phases in order of smallest amount of light seen to largest amount of light seen?"
"When looking at a last quarter moon, is the moon phase towards the end or the beginning of the lunar cycle?"
"If you see a moon that has a crescent shape on its left side, what is it called, and is the moon in the beginning or the end of its lunar cycle?"
These are questions that can be asked to incorporate the knowledge they just learned into applicable scenarios. I want to be able to have them go outside and determine what the moon is called, and where it is in terms of its cycle. They can now use their calendar as a reference when answering these questions. Eventually, they should be able to answer them without looking at their chart. I will inform them on which aspects they should know for our quiz/ test. For homework, I want each student to go outside and:
Draw the moon in its phase.
Label the moon with its scientific name (ex: Waxing crescent).
Write down whether it is in the beginning, middle or end of its lunar cycle.
Assessment:
The calendar will be used as an in class formative assessment, and will not be collected since I want the students to be able to use it for their homework assignment. The homework I receive for tomorrow will be used as another formative assessment to determine their ability to utilize and apply reference knowledge to a measurable task. I can also grade it summatively by stating that the homework will be worth 5 points: 2 points for an accurate drawing, 2 points for its correct scientific notation, and 1 point for the cycle.
Grade/Content Area:
Grade 6 Physical ScienceTitle:
Introduction to The Phases of the MoonGLEs/GSEs:
National Science Education Standards- Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students.
- Teachers of science guide and facilitate learning.
- Teachers of science engage in ongoing assessment of their teaching and of student learning.
- Teachers of science design and manage learning environments that provide students with the time, space, and resources needed for learning science.
RI Middle School GSEs Earth and Space ScienceESS2: The earth is part of a solar system, made up of distinctive parts that have temporal and spatial interrelationships.
8- Systems and Energy/ Patterns of Change
Explain temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, moon (e.g. night/day, seasons, year, tides) or how gravitational force affects objects in the solar system (e.g. moons, tides, orbits, satellites).
Students demonstrate an understanding of temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, and moon by:
a) Using models to describe the relative motion/ position of the Earth, sun and moon.
b) Using a model of the Earth, sun and moon to recreate the phases of the moon.
Performance Standards for Science (Gathered from Grade 6 CCMS- Lynn Arcand)
Science Concepts:The student demonstrates conceptual understanding by using a concept accurately to explain observations and make predictions by representing the concept in multiple ways (through words, diagrams, graphs or charts, as appropriate). Both aspects of understanding -explaining and representing- are required to meet this standard.
Standard 3: Earth and Space Sciences Concepts:
S3c: Understanding of: Earth in the Solar System, such as the predictable motion of planets, moons and other objects in the Solar System including days, years, moon phases and eclipses.
Context for the Lesson:
The purpose of today's lesson is to review the quiz material question by question and answer any questions the students have. From reviewing the quizzes, I will be able to judge what material the students are having trouble with. I will also know what areas I need to improve upon when teaching. The material that needs reviewing can then be incorporated into today's lesson.Activation of prior knowledge will prepare the students for this lesson about the phases of the moon, since they need to be able to connect the previous information with the current. The main goal of today's lesson will be to answer the question, "What happens to the moon during the lunar cycle?", or "What visual evidence is there that helps us observe the time measurement of a lunar month?" Since this class involves a review of the quiz, an activation of prior knowledge, and an introduction of a new topic, I do not want to get too involved with the specifics involved with how the phases of the moon are created. Instead, I want to inform the students on:
To accomplish this, the students need some visual stimulation as to the successive visual changes that follow a new moon, and how those changes eventually create a full moon, and then eventually return back to a new moon. Vocabulary will also be integrated into the lesson as we progress from phase to phase. To accurately comprehend this information, the students will fill out a calendar month with the phases of the moon in each day's square, labeling the phase of the moon in each square. When they are finished, they should have an accurate diagram of how the phases of the moon compose a lunar month, and how the lunar month composes the months associated with a solar year. Will they do this before or after instruction?
Opportunities to Learn:
By visually showing the students through the use of a smart board or overhead projector the actual pictures of different phases of the moon, the students can then associate those pictures to the vocabulary, and vice versa. A video can also be used to show a visual representation of how the phases of the moon change through a month period. The coordination of the material that is being presented by myself, via different technological devices, is then transmitted into a graphic organizer of sorts (a calendar month). This organizes the information that is expressed verbally and visually into an article that the students will be able to use to understand the information in an easier fashion. It will also serve as a reference article that the students can use for coordinating other information. This description is not clear. What will you show? What questions will you ask?The asking and answering of questions will again provide an opportunity for the students to learn actively. Really? How? Relating the phases of the moon to other natural occurrences will also hopefully create an interest in the subject.
The activity will compose of mostly level one and two on the depth of knowledge scale, since the information will be composed of mostly vocabulary, and connecting visual pictures and vocabulary to the sequential series of events composing a lunar month. Since the class is already set up in groups, it is easy for students to be able to help each other when needing assistance. I will encourage students to raise their hands if they have questions, and also to ask their neighbor quietly for assistance if they are having difficulty.
Before the lesson, I will need to prepare:
Objectives:
- Confidently understand and comprehend material from quiz. (through review, Q+A).
- Identify all phases of the moon and their relation to the progression of days on a calendar month.
- Fill in a calendar with the corresponding phases of the moon: Process involves integrating vocabulary, asking questions about the progression, and the step by step process that is done in coordination with the whole class to ensure class-wide understanding. 15-20 min
Rewrite these as student objectives.Opening (10-15% of lesson):
After reviewing the quiz and at the same time, activating their previous knowledge and clearing up any widespread confusion on any areas, we will begin the lesson on moon phases. This can start off with questions:What about: How is a lunar month related to a month? Why?
The purpose here is to ask questions that get the students to engage themselves into the purpose of moon phases. I want to also get them to understand that the phases are not random and that they are cyclical, just like everything else we have been talking about is. I could show them some of the best photographs I can find of different phases of the moon, and have them circulating on random on the smart board. This visual stimulation could pique their interest and prepare them for the rest of the lesson.
You think so? They may have already charted to moon phases in elementary school? Have you asked them about their previous experiences?
Engagement (60-70% of lesson):
After the opening engagement questioning, I will hand out the blank calendar. Then further questioning will be needed in order to fill in the calendar using moon phases:- "Beginning with a new moon on the 1st day of the month, where do you think the full moon would be on the calendar?"
Most students would probably place the full moon on the last day of the month since it makes intuitive sense, but I will ask them this question to hopefully get them on track:- "What is a full lunar cycle?"
- "Is it new moon to full moon, or full moon to new moon, or new moon to new moon?" Drawing a picture or showing a picture of each will help them.
- Using an analogy could also help: "What is the full cycle of one day? Is it 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon? Or 12:00 midnight to 12:00 midnight? When answering this question think 'What will bring me back to where I started?'"
- Once they figured out that a new moon was placed on the 1st and on the 29th day, the next question is, "So again, where do you think a full moon is?"
- They should then realize that it lies halfway between the new moons. The next questions could be "So where would you place a half moon on your calendar?"
At some point the students will have a skeleton of their calendar. In order to fill in the details associated with the new vocabulary (waning, waxing, crescent, gibbous, 1st quarter, last quarter), the students have to know which side of the moon is growing with light over time. We can now establish a rule: After a new moon, the moon starts to get lighter always on its right side, until it becomes full, where it then begins to get darker on its right side, until it turns into a new moon.We can then look at a video that shows this over time. After this, we can begin filling in out calendars again.- "Where do you think a half moon would be on your calendar? Why? What is the scientific term for that?"
- "Is there another place for a half moon?"
- "Based on our rule, which side of the half moon is lit up?"
From here, we can then explore the possibilities of the crescent moon and the gibbous moon. We can do this through exploratory questions. A critical thinking question if we finish early could be, "What would your calendar look like if a new moon appeared on the 15th of the month instead of the first?" This could be a question for those students who finish early and are either bored or disrupting the class. After determining the next step in each phase for our calendar, I will walk around the room and monitor the students' progress. I will pay attention to students I know have difficulty and try to help them before moving on.Closure (20-25% of lesson):
- "So what are the different names of the phases in order of smallest amount of light seen to largest amount of light seen?"
- "When looking at a last quarter moon, is the moon phase towards the end or the beginning of the lunar cycle?"
- "If you see a moon that has a crescent shape on its left side, what is it called, and is the moon in the beginning or the end of its lunar cycle?"
These are questions that can be asked to incorporate the knowledge they just learned into applicable scenarios. I want to be able to have them go outside and determine what the moon is called, and where it is in terms of its cycle. They can now use their calendar as a reference when answering these questions. Eventually, they should be able to answer them without looking at their chart. I will inform them on which aspects they should know for our quiz/ test. For homework, I want each student to go outside and:Assessment:
The calendar will be used as an in class formative assessment, and will not be collected since I want the students to be able to use it for their homework assignment. The homework I receive for tomorrow will be used as another formative assessment to determine their ability to utilize and apply reference knowledge to a measurable task. I can also grade it summatively by stating that the homework will be worth 5 points: 2 points for an accurate drawing, 2 points for its correct scientific notation, and 1 point for the cycle.